Veterans Benefits and Confidentiality

If you’re a veteran applying for or currently receiving veterans benefits, have you ever wondered what laws exist to protect your privacy?

According to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Rule 6), certain measures are in place to protect your personal information and keep sensitive matters strictly confidential.

Public Records. Court records are public records that are not protected by Federal privacy regulations. While certain documents are automatically locked for public access, you may request that additional documents be locked.

But these public records will not include your claim number, Social Security number, date of birth, financial account numbers, names of any minors involved or any other public identifiers. Only court docket numbers will be used to identify documents considered to be public records.

Abbreviated information. Complete information are abbreviated to maintain confidentiality as follows:

• Social Security numbers contain only the last four digits
• An individual’s date of birth only lists the year
• Financial account numbers only include the last four digits (or fewer)
• Only the initials are given when it comes to names of minor children

Challenging redactions. According to Rule 6, anyone who would like to challenge a redaction can file a motion with the Court. This must be done within 15 days of filing the document in question.

If you believe you may be eligible for veterans’ benefits on the basis of a service-related disability or have an issue with your claim, contact an experienced VA Disability Attorney at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, today by calling toll-free 1-877-Veteran 877-526-3455“>(877-526-3455) or by clicking here.